Chloe Cooley Stamp

Chloe Cooley Stamp

This stamp honours Chloe Cooley, an enslaved Black woman whose forced sale across the US-Canada border by her master drew public attention and sparked widespread outrage. Her violent resistance (screaming, kicking, and refusing to comply) was witnessed by a local resident who later reported the incident to authorities. Although Cooley herself received neither freedom nor justice, her situation is theorized to have spurred legislative action in the form of the “Act to Prevent Slavery in Upper Canada,” a law passed later that same year with the goal to restrict the importation of enslaved persons in Canada.

As such, this item of commemoration demonstrates how the story of Cooley has shifted from an important legal case to a significant part of national memory. Its recentness speaks to the present-day growth of public awareness about the harshness of slavery during our colonial past, and the resulting efforts to identify individuals whose acts of resistance paved the way for future progress in Canadian legislature.

Rick Jacobsen

"Black History Month stamp honours Chloe Cooley." 29 January, 2023. Canada Post. https://www.canadapost-postescanada.ca/cpc/en/our-company/news-and-media/corporate-news/news-release/2023-01-29-black-history-month-stamp-honours-chloe-cooley

Canada Post

29 January 2023

Trademarked by Canada Post Corporation

Postage Stamp